It is quite common to target a call or message to a particular device by specifying an address or other identifier that uniquely identifies the particular device. For example, a call to a mobile phone user is generally initiated by entering a phone number associated with that user, while an e-mail message or instant message to a mobile device is usually initiated by specifying a particular address associated with that device. However, in many instances, there is a need to communicate with one or more specific devices within a local vicinity when the addresses of those other devices are unknown. One example can be found in a meeting environment in which it is desirable to exchange contact information with one device but not another that may also be in communication range. Another example can be found in inter-vehicular communication, when it is desired to send to a particular vehicle selected from a number of surrounding vehicles.
Recently there have been significant efforts aimed at providing location determining capabilities in wireless products. Many of the proposals include the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) reception modules to decode signals transmitted from orbiting satellites to generate estimates of present location. The estimates of absolute location from GPS and other systems have been used in a variety of communication applications. The prior art teaches the use of the present location of a device to control certain communication parameters. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,209 issued to Petersen et al. on Mar. 18, 1997, for a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING A TALK GROUP, describes a situation in which location information obtained via GPS or otherwise is used to limit participation in a communication talk group. Here, communication devices are automatically assigned to a talk group when present within predefined geographic boundaries. Another example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,844 issued to Fumarolo et al. on Mar. 20, 2001, for a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY GROUPING COMMUNICATION UNITS IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. Here, the location of communication devices is graphically displayed on a map, and an operator may use click and drag techniques to select particular communication devices for forming a talk group. While these references provide specific techniques for automatically or manually grouping communication units, they do not address the need to communicate with one or more specific devices within a local vicinity when the address of those other devices are unknown.
There remains a need in the area of targeted communications, such inter-vehicular communications, for a method of targeting a message to one of several devices, without specifying an address inherently associated with that device.